Two Students and an AI Tutor

This term, Boons is learning how to write descriptive essays.

The teacher gave homework: "Describe a beautiful scene you love."

He turned to ask Mom:

Mom, what should I describe now?

Mom said:

You've been to so many places, just pick the one that impressed you most and describe it.

So he chose to write about the Botanical Garden, the one we visited in Australia last year.

Makes sense, since he really liked that garden.

But after turning in his essay, the teacher commented: "Your writing sounds more like a story than a description. You should pick a beautiful scene in Vietnam."

He brought the essay back to ask Mom again:

So how do I fix this, Mom?

Okay, picking a scene in Vietnam is easy. But honestly, I’m not so sure about the difference between telling a story and describing a scene either.

So Mom decided to call for backup.

She opened up ChatGPT, or as she calls him, Uncle J, to be Boons’s tutor.

J, Boons’s essay got a comment from the teacher that it sounds more like a story than a description. He needs to redo it. What’s the difference between describing a scene and telling a story? Boons is sitting here, can you explain it to him?

Uncle J explained it really clearly.

Basically, describing a scene means answering questions like: What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? What does it feel like to touch? And how do you feel about the scene?

In short, use your senses to describe things.

Telling a story, on the other hand, usually answers questions like: Who? Where? When? Doing what? What happened?

After listening, Mom and Boons both went:

Ohhhh, I get it!

Both of us had our brains unlocked at the same time. =)))

Once we got the idea, Mom gave him 15 minutes to make a mind map, using Uncle J’s guiding questions.

He went to his room to get started.

After a while, he ran out again:

Mom, which sense is the nose again?

Smell.

He ran back in.

A bit later:

Mom, is the word "khứu" spelled ư-u or u-ư?

He kept running in and out like that a few times.

After 15 minutes, he brought out something that really surprised Mom.

A mind map mixed with a sketchnote, with both drawings and explanations. The layout was super clear, ideas branched out neatly, and each sense had its own little picture.

Only problem was, the writing was tiny like ants, so Mom had to squint to read it.

But it was really cool!

Just a few guiding questions and it seemed like his creative switch had been flipped on.

Next, Mom opened ChatGPT again, this time turning on Voice Mode so he could talk directly to Uncle J.

Boons shared his ideas from the mind map. Uncle J listened, asked more questions, and suggested he observe more closely and explain things more clearly.

He answered, and Uncle J kept asking.

Little by little, all those scattered ideas turned into full sentences.

In the end, he had a descriptive essay about Hon Do, built from his own observations, experiences, and feelings, with help from Tutor J.

Mom was really happy.

Not just because he finished his homework, but because she felt like she’d found a pretty fun new way for Boons to learn.

Instead of giving the prompt to AI and having it write for him, Mom wanted AI to ask questions, guide him, and help him think, come up with ideas, and express himself.

Mom always hopes that, if used right, AI will help him learn more and be more creative, instead of getting lazier or, like people worry, using AI too much will make you... dumber.

But to be fair,

Today, Boons wasn’t the only one who learned something new.

Mom also just got enlightened about the difference between descriptive and narrative writing.

Turns out today’s lesson had two students: a fifth grader and a mom in her forties.

Both got taught by an AI tutor.

Just goes to show, learning really is a lifelong thing. :))

Thanks, Uncle J, you’ve saved us again!